Contemporary Drop Earrings
Contemporary jewelry is inextricably linked with the moment in which it is created, frequently reflecting current social, cultural and political issues such as environmental consciousness, identity and sustainability. It’s informed by fashion trends, from the chokers of the 1990s to the large chain necklaces of the early 2000s.
Jewelry is one of the oldest forms of adornment. Lockets made of silver or gold have been treasured gifts for hundreds of years, for example, and charm bracelets, which have existed since prehistoric times, didn’t become especially popular until the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria. For many centuries, fine jewelry was used primarily to express wealth or status through lavish materials. Then, in the 1960s, a concept known as the “critique of preciousness” emerged, with jewelers creating pieces that did not get their value from gemstones or precious metals. Instead, it was the jeweler’s artistic vision that was prized and elevated.
This shift still informs Contemporary jewelry being made by artists today. Whether they are using cheap, found materials and working with provocative geometric shapes or seeking out the rarest stones, they are imbuing their work with meaning through their skills, techniques and ideas. Innovative designers such as Elsa Peretti, who popularized sculptural sterling-silver jewelry for Tiffany & Co., and David Yurman, who twisted metal into the simple yet striking Cable bracelet, have also influenced the direction of Contemporary jewelry’s forms and aesthetics.
Meanwhile, technological advancements like metal alloys and laser engraving have led to new possibilities in jewelry design. Now, edgy makers and brands as well as minimalist designers are pushing Contemporary jewelry forward into the 21st century.
Find a collection of Contemporary rings, earrings, necklaces and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
2010s British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Cultured Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gol...
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Oriental Pearl, South ...
2010s British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, 18k Gol...
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Contemporary Drop Earrings
White Diamond, Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
White Diamond, Pearl, Diamond, Freshwater Pearl, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s Turkish Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Tourmaline, 18k Gold
2010s Turkish Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Blue Topaz, Freshwater Pearl, Natural Pearl, Topaz, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Opal, Freshwater Pearl, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, ...
2010s German Contemporary Drop Earrings
South Sea Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Pearl, Diamond, White...
21st Century and Contemporary Greek Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Natural Pearl, Gold, 24...
2010s Turkish Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Topaz, Blue Topaz, 18k Gold, Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Multi-gemstone, Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yello...
2010s Turkish Contemporary Drop Earrings
Freshwater Pearl, Natural Pearl, Peridot, Pearl, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Freshwater Pearl, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Chrysophrase, Lapis Lazuli, Freshwater Pearl, Zircon, Vermeil
21st Century and Contemporary Greek Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Natural Pearl, Palladium, Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Garnet, Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Greek Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Natural Pearl, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Turkish Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Tourmaline, 18k Gold
2010s Turkish Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Topaz, Blue Topaz, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Freshwater Pearl, Zircon, 18k Gold
2010s Turkish Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Tourmaline, Topaz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Turkish Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Tourmaline, 18k Gold
2010s Turkish Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Topaz, 18k Gold
2010s Turkish Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Natural Pearl, Topaz, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Aquamarine, Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Multi-gemstone, Gold, 14k Gold, Yel...
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, 24k Gold, Gold-filled, Gold Plate
